There are more than 5,000 megawatts (MW) of untapped renewable energy resources in Arizona, according to a new study by Black & Veatch, a global engineering, consulting, and construction company. That amount of energy is enough to meet the needs of more than 1.5 million customers, the study says.

Arizona's three largest utilities, Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project, and Tucson Electric Power (TEP), commissioned a renewable energy assessment to determine the availability of the state's renewable energy resources. Black & Veatch was selected to conduct the research and publish the study, entitled "The Arizona Renewable Energy Assessment."

The study indicates that more than 4,300 MW of electricity could be produced using solar thermal generation. In addition, nearly 1,500 MW of electricity could be developed from wind power generation. Furthermore, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal technologies could combine to provide as much as 175 MW of electricity.